Kamasi Washington | |
|---|---|
 Washington in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kamasi Tii Washington |
| Born | February 18, 1981 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Tenor saxophone |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | West Coast Get Down |
| Website | kamasiwashington |
Kamasi Tii Washington (born February 18, 1981) is an American jazz saxophonist. [1] He is a founding member of the jazz collective West Coast Get Down. [2]
Washington was born in 1981 and raised in Los Angeles, California. [2] [3] He is a graduate of the Academy of Music of Alexander Hamilton High School in Beverlywood, Los Angeles. [1] Washington next enrolled in UCLA's Department of Ethnomusicology, where he began playing with faculty members such as Kenny Burrell, Gerald Wilson, and Billy Higgins, who mentored a quartet with Washington, pianist Cameron Graves, and the brothers Stephen ("Thundercat") and Ronald Bruner. They released their debut album Young Jazz Giants in 2004 on Birdman Records. [4] [5]
Washington joined the Gerald Wilson Orchestra for its 2005 album In My Time . [6] In 2008 and 2009 "The Kamasi Washington Band" played the outdoor Labor Day Jazz Concert on the Main Green at Village Green, Los Angeles. [7] [8] Washington played saxophone on Kendrick Lamar's album To Pimp a Butterfly , [9] released on March 15, 2015. Washington's debut solo recording, The Epic , was released in May 2015. [10] Washington contributed saxophone on the Thundercat song "Them Changes", which was released on June 18, 2015, as a single from the EP The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam ; [11] [12] the track was later included on Thundercat's full-length album Drunk (2017).
Washington released the mini-album/EP Harmony of Difference in September 2017. This was followed by his second full-length studio album, Heaven and Earth , which was released in June 2018, with a companion EP titled The Choice released a week later.
Washington has played along with a diverse group of musicians including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Horace Tapscott, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Snoop Dogg, [13] George Duke, Chaka Khan, Flying Lotus, Mike Muir, Francisco Aguabella, St. Vincent, the Pan Afrikaan People's Orchestra, Run the Jewels and Raphael Saadiq.
On June 25, 2020, Washington, Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and 9th Wonder announced the formation of the supergroup Dinner Party. They released a single, "Freeze Tag", and their debut extended play, Dinner Party , was released on July 10, 2020. [14]
On June 18, 2021, Washington released a new song "Sun Kissed Child" as part of The Undefeated 's Music for the Movement series. [15] Also in 2021, Washington and his band contributed a cover of the Metallica song "My Friend of Misery" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist . [16]
On July 4, 2024, Kendrick Lamar released the music video for Not Like Us. In the video, there was a snippet that played in the beginning of the video (later revealed to be Squabble Up). In the song, Kendrick mentions Washington in the line "I can't keep a horn on me, that Kamasi".
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | John Coltrane Music Competition | Won | [17] | ||
| 2015 | Worldwide Winners | Album of the Year | The Epic | Won | [18] |
| 2016 | American Music Prize | Won | [19] | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Jazz Album | Nominated | [20] | ||
| Libera Awards | Album of the Year | Nominated | [21] [22] | ||
| Best Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Groundbreaking Album of the Year | Won | ||||
| Heritage Album of the Year | Won | ||||
| 2018 | UK Music Video Awards | Best Urban Video – International | "Street Fighter Mas" | Nominated | [23] |
| Libera Awards | Best Jazz Album | Harmony of Difference | Won | [24] | |
| 2019 | Worldwide Winners | Jazz Album of the Year | Heaven and Earth | Won | [25] |
| Libera Awards | Album of the Year | Won | [26] | ||
| Best Jazz Album | Won | ||||
| Creative Packaging | Won | ||||
| Video of the Year | "Heaven & Earth" | Nominated | |||
| Brit Awards | International Male Solo Artist | Himself | Nominated | [27] | |
| UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video – International | "Hub-tones" | Nominated | [28] | |
| Best Special Video Project | "As Told to g/d Thyself" | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Becoming | Nominated | [29] |
| Libera Awards | Best Sync Usage | Music in Apple Shot on iPhone XS commercial | Nominated | [30] | |
| 2021 | Grammy Awards | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Becoming | Nominated | [31] |
| 2023 | Libera Awards | Best Jazz Record | "The Garden Path" | Won | [32] |
Studio albums
EPs
With Throttle Elevator Music
With the Gerald Wilson Orchestra
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